Morgue Days
by Simahoyo
Summary: How does everyone in the morgue react when they find out Maura has been injured, and could lose her leg? How will they keep Pike away? AN: I have been tracking those who work in the morgue, and I think I have everyone. Phil is an added character, and Sarah is my own character. Useful for writers needing morgue worker names. And the real reason I wrote this, actually.


**Morgue Days**

**By Simahoyo**

**(How does everyone in the morgue react when they find out Maura has been injured, and could lose her leg? How will they keep Pike away?)**

**AN: I have been tracking those who work in the morgue, and I think I have everyone. Phil is an added character, and Sarah is my own character. Useful for writers needing morgue worker names.** **And the real reason I wrote this, actually.**

They were busy. They always had so much to do. It would have been nice if death took a holiday for once, but Yoshima, Maura's right hand man, was bent over the body of a middle aged business man. His tall frame was covered in blue scrubs, and the face mask magnified everything he was looking at. It also blurred the figures of his co-workers, which was fine with him. It made it much easier to concentrate.

Yoshima was in the middle of a really interesting autopsy on a man who appeared to have been electrocuted, either just before or just after being shot. Getting the cause of death right was going to be a challenge. He glanced up to see how Sarah and Susie were doing on gathering trace evidence on the homeless man, while Erin looked on with that, "Hurry up, please" look on her face. It was a busy enough day that they all rather missed Maura while she went off to do a water test. At least it was a Pike free zone at the moment.

The door opened, and Louise caught his eye. She was pale, and her hands were shaking. Yoshima set down his face mask and took off his gloves. As he walked toward her, his stomach dropped like when he was a kid and rode the really scary roller coasters. She was a small, round woman who mothered everyone who would let her.

"Maura's been hurt. She's in the hospital, and, Oh Yoshima, it sounds so bad. She could lose her leg." Tears dropped from her eyes. Yoshima gently touched her shoulder, looking into her light blue eyes. Louise loved everyone, and she was the most openly emotional of all the morgue workers.

"What can we do?", his brown eyes tried to show steadiness. That was his job–to be the rock they could all lean on.

"Detective Frost said she could be out for days–if she even makes it...I'm sorry. It's just..."

"It is hard. My pharynx is so tight I can hardly speak. Details please."

"She and Detective Rizzoli went to test the water where Erin's tests pointed them. The people who killed that professor caught them. Maura's leg was badly injured, and both were exposed to polluted water. Korsak found them–we hope in time."

"We could lose her? Damn it. She's had such a nasty run of luck. It just isn't fair._ (Like life is fair.) _I'm aware that you don't know medical terms and that Frost doesn't either, but you did a good job explaining this. It would happen the week before I take my board exams. I'll be a good Diener, and keep things running. You just keep us informed. I want this place in good running order when she gets back. And I know you do too."

Louise smiled, then her face fell. "What about Dr. Pike?"

Yoshima frowned so hard his forehead wrinkled. "We will do whatever it takes to keep him out of here as long as possible. All Maura needs is to come back to one of his messes again."

With that comment, Yoshima turned and walked to the center of the room. He looked at Sarah, their intern. Her warm brown eyes were intent. There was something hawk-like about those eyes.

"Sarah, would you please gather everyone together, including Phil."

Sarah's eyebrows shot up but she scooted out to do his bidding. Everyone else gathered around.

Sarah returned with Sue, Dr. Zacker, and Phil, the security man. The room was extremely quiet.

"Maura's been hurt. It could be bad, and she's in the hospital." He was interrupted by the, 'Oh No's' from the group. "We need to do a great job keeping this place running for who knows how long, and I want to try to stretch it out as long as possible without Pike. So, Susie, you need to inform Cavenaugh that we will keep everything going as long as possible. You have a certain gift for dealing with him." (he stopped short of saying she was an accomplished flirt) And Erin, would you set up some sort of very obvious schedule for Trace to keep the police officers out of our hair? I think that white board behind your filing cabinet would work. Dr. Zacker, if things go really badly, are you willing to help out with everyone's reaction?"

Zacker nodded, his red hair flopping. "I'll see anyone who needs to talk about it through the rest of the day and beyond, as needed. Just see me in my office when you have a minute." He walked back to his office and left the door ajar, his signal that he was open to listen.

Phil looked at Yoshima quizzically. "What do you need me to do?" His wrinkled face was pulled into worry lines.

"Phil, if we get hit with a lot of bodies, we will have to get some sort of traffic control, and I don't just mean with deliveries. The traffic we don't want to see is Dr. Pike walking through our door, unless we have to call him in ourselves. And I will let you know if we get that desperate."

Phil nodded soberly. He disliked Pike because of several ageist remarks Pike had aimed at him. Yoshima knew he would make it his personal mission to keep Pike out.

After Phil took off, Yoshima noticed Sarah sneaking off to her locker. He had a suspicion what she was after. "Getting some sage?"

She was startled, then relaxed. "If you're okay with it, I just want to do a quick ceremony out back. Five minutes?"

Yoshima got it, his mother had kept an alter to her household gods up until her death. Ceremonies helped the living, and Sarah was inclined to be scattered when emotional. He nodded at her as she walked away. This morgue crew was a mixture of Asian, European, Canadian and Native American workers, and several cultures and religions co-existed nicely. They all tried to allow each other room to be themselves. That had been Maura's example, and it made this morgue a much better place to work than most. _Oh God, he was thinking of her in the past tense._ He went back to his autopsy, and dropped a wall of concentration around him.

Sarah walked past, with a whiff of sage around her. She turned and grinned her enthusiastic grin.

"You'll never believe what I saw."

Yoshima waited. Sarah was the youngest of them, and her eyes fairly danced. "I saw a cloud shaped like a tortoise–you know, like Bass, Maura's pet. I know she'll be ok."

Yoshima was not one to step on other's beliefs. "Good. Are you ready to help me out with this one?"

Sarah was ready almost before he finished the sentence. They leaned over the puzzle. As they worked, Susie came down, caught his eye, and smiled. "Cavanaugh will help us. His detectives all hate Pike too. I haven't heard anything more about Maura and Detective Rizzoli. I'll go help set up Erin's office. That whiteboard was kind of stuck back there last time we looked."

Yoshima was proud of his team. They looked for work to do, and just stepped in and did it. It made him grind his teeth when Pike called them incompetent. The afternoon flew by, while they waited to hear from Louise. It was close to 5 PM when she walked in. Her greyish blond hair was a little rumpled. Her nerves were obviously bothering her. Everyone stopped as she spoke.

"Maura's operation went really well, she's going to recover, and may be out a few more days. She's sorry to inconvenience everyone. (There was a rush a denials) And she and Detective Rizzoli are fine. So, in conclusion, I just want to say, thank God.".

Everyone talked at once, and relief was obvious. Yoshima waited for them to calm down, then started talking. "We need to cover the morgue for a few more days. If absolutely necessary, we will have someone in to sign papers, but I know we all hope that doesn't become an issue. We could send Sarah out with papers for Maura to sign."

Sarah grinned and gave them a thumbs up.

Louise put her hand up for another comment. "I'll bring a card for everyone to sign tomorrow."

People nodded agreement. Yoshima looked everyone over until they got quiet. "It looks like we handled things ourselves just fine, and I hope we only have to do this a few more days. Thanks for all your extra work. Those going home can go now. I'll be here another hour."

As Yoshima puttered around, straightening up here and there, he waited. It was half an hour later that his cell phone buzzed. He looked and smiled. It was Maura. He answered, " Hi Maura. How are you feeling?"

"Not as bad as I was afraid I might be. I'm on a crutch, and my doctor is making me stay home Jane is here, helping me get things, and keeping me relatively sane. How are things in the morgue?"

"We have everything covered. Sarah said she saw a cloud shaped like Bass, so she knew you would be fine. You just relax for the next couple of days. I have my board exams on Monday and Tuesday, then all is Pike free."

He heard Maura laughing. " I like the sound of that.", Then her quick explanation to Jane. Yoshima stopped smiling. He loved talking to his boss. He wasn't particularly found of sharing. They said their goodbyes. Yoshima looked around the morgue, picked up his heart from off the floor, clenched his jaw and walked out.

_I am a rock, I am an island_

_And an island feels no pain_

_And a rock never cries._

_Simon and Garfunkle_


End file.
